Which Fashion Job is Right For You?

Are you keen to work in the fun and fast-paced fashion industry, but not entirely sure what area is right for you? Fashion is one of the most diverse industries to work in and one that is also extremely popular. The competition is fierce, and hundreds (sometimes even thousands!) of applications can be received for one single role. The key thing to keep in mind when trying to get into the industry is to work out where your skills and passions lie. In this post we take a look at some of the many areas of the fashion industry to give you an idea of where you might fit in. Retail Sales Retail is undoubtedly the best way to start off your fashion career, and the majority of people in the industry have worked in retail in one way or another. Working in retail can open a lot of doors and will give you a great insight in how different brands operate. Career progression can be swift and getting into retail management can enable you to earn good money whilst working with a wide range of brands, giving you first hand knowledge of seasons and trends. This knowledge could then prove invaluable when applying for other roles in the sector. To be a successful candidate for luxury retail vacancies within boutiques and department stores two of the most important things are to be impeccably presented and have exceptional customer service skills. Previous retail experience is a plus, but not always a must. Buying One common route from retail is to go into buying. This will bring you into direct contact with brands and make you a key influencer, as fashion buyers are the people who determine what products are to be sold in stores, catalogues, and online. You will work on behalf of a store or department store, and it is your job to recognise and predict future trends. If you are considering a buying job you must be able to understand your target market, be creative, whilst also having strong negotiation skills and good commercial awareness. Having a strong sense of numbers is crucial, as well as a keen interest in fashion. Typical responsibilities include: Analysing sales and deciding whether to buy more or less of a type of apparel, or raise or lower its price Analysing the retailer’s budget and decide how much to spend and forecast profits from the sales Tracking fashion trends and predicting future trends Negotiating prices with suppliers to meet demand and monitoring deliveries to ensure that orders are correct and arrive on time Merchandising Merchandisers ensure that products appear in the right store, or on a website, at the appropriate time and in the correct quantities. This involves working closely with the buying teams to accurately forecast trends, plan stock levels and monitor performance. To be a successful merchandiser you must take an analytical approach to the task at hand, have excellent commercial awareness skills and experience in planning forecasting. Typical responsibilities include: Liaising with buyers, analysts, stores, suppliers and distributors Working closely with visual display staff and department heads to decide how goods should be displayed to maximise customer interest and sales Forecasting profits and sales, and optimising the sales volume and profitability of designated product areas Planning budgets and presenting sales forecasts and figures for new ranges Marketing & Digital The fundamental purpose of marketing is to promote and raise awareness of a brand through advertising campaigns, content or social media. To have a successful career in fashion marketing you are required to be strong across a number of different fields; a true 'Jack of all trades'. If you are considering a marketing or digital job, make sure you are business minded, creative, a great communicator, analytical and tech-savvy. Typical responsibilities include: Using CMS, HTML, CSS, Photoshop and analytics software Preparing and styling on photo-shoots Post production of offline marketing materials including 3rd party retouching, graphic design and printing Creating advertising directives Maintaining and creating website content and online marketing campaigns Planning, producing copy and managing all creatives for company email campaigns Managing SEO and PPC systems Organising runway events and press conferences Managing and writing copy for all social marketing channels, including social media, blog posts, online press releases, etc. Running and attending press open days If you are seeking a new opportunity in fashion or luxury retail, we would love to hear from you. Give us a call today on 020 8237 8900 and talk to one of our experienced consultants to see how we can help, or register your CV directly on our website.